CVE-2024-45508

HTMLDOC before 1.9.19 has an out-of-bounds write in parse_paragraph in ps-pdf.cxx because of an attempt to strip leading whitespace from a whitespace-only node

Critical · published September 1, 2024

CVSS v3.1
9.8
EPSS
1%
Percentile
52.6
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

🚨 An out-of-bounds write vulnerability lurks in HTMLDOC versions before 1.9.19! It’s like trying to squeeze toothpaste back into the tube but ending up with a mess instead. 🔥 Picture a waiter accidentally trying to serve an empty plate at a restaurant; while they aim to impress, they end up with a big problem on their hands instead! This vulnerability allows the program to write data beyond its intended memory space, potentially causing chaos. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to corrupt data or potentially execute arbitrary code, unleashing an absolute nightmare for your systems. Imagine a rogue chef in your kitchen, throwing ingredients around—everything could be at risk!

Put simply

Picture a waiter accidentally trying to serve an empty plate at a restaurant; while they aim to impress, they end up with a big problem on their hands instead! This vulnerability allows the program to write data beyond its intended memory space, potentially causing chaos. In HTMLDOC versions prior to 1.9.19, an out-of-bounds write occurs in the `parse_paragraph` function found in `ps-pdf.cxx`, initiated by stripping leading whitespace from nodes that are meant to be empty, which can lead to memory corruption.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to corrupt data or potentially execute arbitrary code, unleashing an absolute nightmare for your systems. Imagine a rogue chef in your kitchen, throwing ingredients around—everything could be at risk! Patch your installation to version 1.9.19 or later immediately to safeguard against this vulnerability. Additionally, audit your code to ensure proper checks are in place to prevent similar issues in the future. You've got this! Follow these steps and you'll have your system locked down tight in no time. 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
9.8 · CRITICAL
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00700 · 52.6th percentile
Published
2024-09-01T00:00Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 01 SEP 00:00Z
    HTMLDOC before 1.9.19 has an out-of-bounds write in parse_paragraph in ps-pdf.cxx because of an attempt to strip leading whitespace from a whitespace-only node
    cvelistv5